Joyce: expect accidents on reef

THE passage of cargo was necessary for a vibrant economy, Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce said yesterday in dismissing calls for more restrictions on ships travelling through the Great Barrier Reef.

"There will be further accidents ... there's no doubt about that, but that's life,” Mr Joyce said.

"If you have ships at sea you're going to have them run into things and sink from time to time.” He made the comment in the wake of the government's $39.3 million out of court settlement from the operators of the Shen Neng 1, which ran aground 100km east of Rockhampton in 2010.